Title and Abstract

Description of paper Summarize the paper

Abstract

• Do not confuse abstract with introduction• Abstract is summary of whole manuscript• Introduction develops problem and states

purpose

• Do not state, “the significance of the information is discussed in the article.”

Introduction• Intro serves two purposes:

• Stimulates reader’s interest• Outline reason for the study

• Begin with a statement or two to develop problem, tell why study needs to be done, and state the purpose of the study

• Not a place for great detail• Highlight most prominent works of others• Put detailed review of literature in discussion

Introduction

• Introduction not a place for great detail• Highlight most prominent works of others• Put detailed review of literature in discussion• Identify and develop the magnitude and

significance of the controversy with brief specific statements (referenced, of course)

Introduction the hardest section to write, call attention to

the specific subject, define the problem provide background and present the results

of other studies (literature review) list the structure of your research project and

what you plan to present in your paper

Methods “Begin with paragraph describing experimental

design, then describe subjects, instruments, procedures, and statistical analysis

Methods should contain enough detail so others can reproduce the experiment

enough information must be given so that the experiments could be reproduced

ask a colleague if he/she can follow the methodology

Results display of data with logical development

showing how your findings satisfy your objectives

where possible give illustrative examples and compare those with known results from literature

use tables and figures Emphasize the meaning of the results, not the

statistical test used…

Statistics

• Statistics don’t indicate or prove anything; they simply provide you with support for making a decision

• Statistical tests don’t find differences; they provide evidence that a difference between groups is probably real

Statistics

Terminology Take courses

Discussion• Put your results in perspective with your

expectations and compare your results with the rest of the world. Don’t repeat or rehash results; discuss them

• The emphasis should not be on other authors but rather on what they reported and how it relates to your work

Discussion You discuss, you do not recapitulate the

Results show the relationship among observed facts state your conclusion as clearly as possible summarize your evidence for each conclusion end with a short summary/conclusion regarding

the significance of your work

Figures and Tables

Stand alone Read abstract, than examine the tables

and figures

Tables

• Tables should look like this:

Table 1. Title of the table (units of measurement)*

Header 2 Header 3

Header 1 Sub2a Sub2b Sub2c Sub3a Sub3b Sub3c

Row identifier Info Info Info Info Info Info

Row identifier Info Info Info Info Info Info

Row identifier Info Info Info Info Info Info

Total Info Info Info Info Info Info

*Put any notes here.

Tables

• Identify units of measurement in the most general way possible. Include in column header or row identifier if possible.

• When a table contains data that have been averaged, report the mean ± SD (or SE)

Summary

• Separate summary not needed; abstract does this. List of conclusions at end of discussion is appropriate.

• TIP: write a summary, compare to abstract, add left out info, then throw away summary.

HINTS TO READ

An Analog

User-Centered Design:don’t blame the user, blame the designer

Reader-Centered Writing:don’t blame the reader, blame the author

Reading Criteria

significance the paper's contribution

validityhow confidently can researchers and

practitioners take up the results? originality:

have new ideas or approaches been employed where needed?

Reading Process

Read the paper once to get a general overview of what it contains

Read it again carefully, taking notes while you read

Write a separate, stand-alone review Remember that positives are as important as

negatives – but only when they are detailed and the authors can believe in them

Find Examples and Illustrations Scientific writing

theoretical, abstract, difficult to understand Use MANY examples and illustrations If you don’t have enough space, don’t sacrifice the

examples Two possibilities:

Examples first, followed by generalizations General principle first, followed by an example The more difficult or complex the concept is, the

more it is recommended to use the first option

Sentence structure

Clear Not too much in a sentence Simplify

Understand linking sentences

Sentence to sentence Paragraph to paragraph Consequence, like therefore, thus,

accordingly. Summarizing, after all, finally,